New guide for sea-goers

New guide for sea-goers

While there is nothing quite like the thrill of encountering a whale or a pod of dolphins at sea, many sea-goers are unaware that their attempts to get close to these mammals are probably not only illegal but also potentially damaging to the animals.

Now a new booklet provides legal and ethical guidance for operators of recreational vessels to help them understand the rules and how best to handle their vessels around whales, dolphins, sharks, seals and seabirds to be found in South African waters.

The booklet also serves as a useful field guide offering illustrations and detailed descriptions of some of the animals one is most likely to encounter at sea and what their common behaviours are.

It is the product of a sustainable marine tourism project recently conducted in the Plettenberg Bay area by the Nature’s Valley Trust in conjunction with Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and funded by the WWF Nedbank Green Trust.

Dr Gwenith Penry, marine mammal scientist and research associate with the Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, said the intention was to inform sea-goers, not only about the rules but also about behaviours that could be disruptive and even damaging to marine life.

Click on the newspaper below to read more (see page 18).